Tom Chaplin, MS

Police Chief (Retired), City of Walnut Creek, CA

Tom Chaplin, MS

Tom Chaplin served as the Police Chief for the city of Walnut Creek from 2013 until his retirement in 2020. Prior to his appointment, he served with the Citrus Heights Police Department for seven years, where he served as a lieutenant in the Patrol Division and the Investigative Services Division. He also served as commander in the Patrol Division and Investigative Services Division. In addition to being a member of the department start-up team, he spent nine months in the role of deputy chief of police.

Chief Chaplin spent five years with the California Department of Justice. During this time frame, he was assigned as special agent on the Sexual Predator Apprehension Team, California Bureau of Investigation, Sacramento Regional Office; a special agent supervisor for the Investigative Support Team – California Attorney General’s Office – Northern California; and a special agent in charge for the Mission Support Branch, overseeing the Professional Standards Group, Background Investigations Group, and Litigation Unit.

Chief Chaplin started his law enforcement career with the Sacramento Police Department. In the Sacramento Police Department, Chaplin served as a community services officer, a patrol officer, field training officer, neighborhood police officer, detective, academy instructor, and other assignments. Chief Chaplin served as an instructor at the police academy and for in-house training in the following areas: expert testimony, surveillance, VICE, informant management, search warrant preparation, investigations, proactive child sexual exploitation investigations, and undercover operations.

Chief Chaplin holds a bachelor’s degree in occupational studies and a Master’s degree in emergency services administration, both from California State University, Long Beach. He is an Executive Fellow for the National Police Foundation.

He is a graduate of the 44th class of the California Command College and has published an article in the California Journal of Law Enforcement titled “Cybercriminals have Passed Law Enforcement By. Let’s Catch Back Up!”

Capt. Tim Gately, Redmond Police Department
MS-LEPSL Alumnus

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